voltage regulator on a 4-wheeler

[rossthefisherman]

i am thinking my voltage regulator went bad on my 4 wheeler. How does one know if it went bad. someone told me that the battery would be dead if thats bad. let me know what you guys think. THANKS

[Macgyver55]

Do you have a simple volt meter? If so, the easiest way to do a quick test is to check the voltage on the battery while the engine is off. Should be just over 12 volts. Then, start the engine and take a reading again. You may need to rev the engine slightly to produce a maximum reading. If it is charging, you should have a voltage of at least 13.5 or more to adequately charge the battery. 14.6 volts is about the max you would want, any more and battery damage is possible. You can also turn on all electric accessories while it is running to see if it is able to "keep up" with everthing you are using. If your numbers are in that range you should be good to go.